Gov. Perry defense lawyers say cancer probe 'red herring'

By Peggy Fikac :
August 21, 2014
: Updated: August 21, 2014 11:45am

Gov. Rick Perry's indictment on two felony charges Friday set off a maelstrom of reactions from elected officials and political insiders. Scroll through the slideshow to see what Republicans and Democrats had to say about the charges.

Photo By Mengwen Cao/Associated Press

Gov. Rick Perry: “We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country,” Perry said at a Capitol news conference on Saturday. “This indictment amounts to nothing more than abuse of power, and I cannot and I will not allow that to happen.”

Photo By Kin Man Hui / San Antonio Express-News

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas:

“Unfortunately, there has been a sad history of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office engaging in politically-motivated prosecutions, and this latest indictment of the governor is extremely questionable,” Cruz said in a Facebook post.

“Rick Perry is a friend, he’s a man of integrity – I am proud to stand with Rick Perry. The Texas Constitution gives the governor the power to veto legislation, and a criminal indictment predicated on the exercise of his constitutional authority is, on its face, highly suspect.”

Pictured, during his address at the RedState Gathering, Sen. Ted Cruz said conservatives are near victory in big fights like Obamacare and immigration.

Photo By A

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush:

"The indictment of @GovernorPerry seems politically motivated and ridiculous. Major overreach and an encroachment on his veto authority," Bush tweeted.

"I #StandWithRickPerry against the Dem-controlled Travis Co TX DA's office which has a reputation for malicious prosecution of Republicans," Santorum tweeted.

Pictured, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Republican from Pennsylvania, speaks at a luncheon sponsored by radio station KLUP at the Pearl Stable, Friday, May 30, 2014.

Photo By Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle

Outgoing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst:

“I’m disappointed with Travis County’s attempts to criminalize state politics," Dewhurst said. "As I understand the facts, Governor Perry’s acts were consistent with what any House or Senate Finance Chair would do to get the attention of a state agency.”

Photo By San Antonio Express-News file photo

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus:

“The Texas Constitution gives the Governor clear veto authority, which the Legislature respects even when we disagree with some vetoes," Straus said. "That authority plays an important role in our system of government.”

Photo By Eric Gay/Associated Press

Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri:

“I think most reasonable people would come to the conclusion that it’s political in nature. I think most people would feel it’s not inappropriate to exercise a governor’s pergoative to not appropriate funds to a governmental authority that’s had a government official that’s conduced themselves in a way that gives the governor pause.” Munisteri said. “He has about a year and a half to the Iowa caucuses, so certainly this needs to be resolved before that.” Most Republican voters “will feel as I do – that this was politically motivated. This is not about somebody charged with taking a bribe … misusing government property. This is about a governor who said he didn’t want to agree to appropriations for a public official who had admittedly committed a crime.” “I don’t think anybody will think twice about it. Obviously, though, it’ll impact him if it hasn’t gone to trial or resolved prior to the 2016 season kicking into high gear. I think from his point of view he wants the quickest trial as possible.”

Appearing on Fox News to discuss Texas’ border enforcement surge on Saturday, Abbott said he had not looked at the Friday indictment but said he questioned how Perry could be indicted for “using his veto . . . vetoing a law and exercising how power.”

“I don’t know what to think of it,” Abbott said.

Pictured, Abbott discusses his education policies while visiting the Toyota plant on Monday May 12, 2014.

Asked whether Perry should step down, Davis told reporters: “As I said, there will be, I’m sure, more information that comes to light. I trust that the justice system will do its job, and these indictments handed down by the grand jury demonstrate that some very seriously potential crimes have been committed.”
That puts her at odds with the state Democratic Party, which said the governor should resign shortly after the indictment was revealed.

Photo By Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

Congressman Joaquin Castro:

Castro tweeted, "For
the sake of Texas, Governor Perry should resign following his indictment on two
criminal felony counts involving abuse of office."

Pictured, Castro chats in the lobby as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro readies to speak at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention at the Marriott Rivercenter on August 9, 2014.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa:

“Governor Rick Perry has brought dishonor to his office, his family and the state of Texas. Texans deserve to have leaders that stand up for what is right and work to help families across Texas. The indictment today shows a failure of Governor Perry to follow the law," Hinojosa said. "This is systematic of a broader problem: Ken Paxton is facing a possible indictment and Attorney General Abbott has refused to rule on whether Governor Perry can use taxpayer dollars to cover his legal expenses. We call on Governor Perry to immediately step down from office. Texans deserve real leadership and this is unbecoming of our Governor.”

Pictured, Newly-elected Texas State Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa meets with members of the Bexar County Young Democrats at Madhatters Tea House & Cafe, Wednesday, June 27, 2012.

Photo By AP

David Axelrod, former senior White House adviser to President Barack Obama:

"Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy," Axelrod tweeted.

This Jan. 28, 2011 file photo shows David Axelrod, outgoing senior White House adviser to President Barack Obama, during an interview with the Associated Press at the White House. Axelrod, who is a former political reporter for The Chicago Tribune, has known the president since the early 1990s and was a driving force behind Obama's message of change during the 2008 campaign. He is a calming influence on the Obama 2012 campaign team and has helped focus on middle-class voters.

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry's defense lawyers worked Thursday to knock down any idea that a probe into a project championed by the governor had any connection to his veto of funding for the Travis County district attorney's public corruption unit.

Perry has been indicted in connection with his threat last year to veto funding for the Public Integrity Unit overseen by Democratic Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned in the wake of a mess drunken-driving arrest and guilty plea.

Lehmberg served time but stayed in office. Perry vetoed the money for the Public Integrity Unit, saying Lehmberg had lost the public's confidence.

Texans for Public Justice, a liberal government accountability group, filed a criminal complaint saying that Perry was wrong to use his power to try to force out a locally elected official.

Perry's veto threat came as the Public Integrity Unit was looking the cancer institute, whose creation was championed by Perry.

The institute had been hit by a scandal regarding the inadequate review of grants, and about grants going to those who made contributions to support the agency and also made political contributions to officials. The agency's former chief commercialization officer later was indicted after being accused of withholding information that an $11 million grant had not been reviewed as required.

Buzbee read an affidavit from Chris Walling, identified as having been the primary investigator into the cancer agency. In the affidavit, Walling said that at no time in the investigation was Perry or anyone in his office a target. He said there was no suggestion of wrongdoing by an appointed board member.

Buzbee said that Walling now works for a state agency.

“The CPRIT issue is a red herring that the Democrats are trying to make float upstream,” said Perry lawyer Ben Ginsberg.